Ronda Rousey is the unexpected new face of a major beauty brand

She was the first American woman to win Olympic Gold for judo, and now MMA champion fighter Ronda Rousey has added another accolade to her (presumably black) belt: she’s the new face of Pantene.

Beauty brands don’t usually look inside the UFC ring for their ambassadors, and Pantene’s move is a slap in the face to anyone who’s criticised Rousey in the past for not fitting their mould of a) what a woman should look like and b) how they should behave.

“I’m fully aware that I might not be the first person people think of to collaborate with a beauty brand,” Rousey says in Pantene’s press release. “I’ve been called ‘Miss Man’ and ‘savage’ because of my physique, but to me, strength isn’t only about having muscles.”

“It’s about having heart and finding inner confidence so I’m honoured that Pantene asked me to be part of their new campaign that encourages women to break gender barriers, break the glass ceiling and never settle,” she adds.